Door latch



Patented June 17, 1939 WILLIAM 1). rename, or STERLING, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T FBANTZ MANUFACTURING 00., or STERLING, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS DOOR LATCH Application filed April 21,

This invention relates to door latches, and more particularly to those known as thumb latches, having a thumb piece at each side of the door for lifting the latch.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction whereby either thumb piece is operative to lift the latch without disturbing the normal position of the other thumb piece, the

19 two thumb pieces being separate and structurally distinct from each other, but being common to the single latch bar, which must be lifted by either thumb piece to unlatch the door. It is also an object to providecertain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efiici ency and the desirability of a door latch mechanism of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends, the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a View looking down on a door equipped with door latch mechanism involving the principles of the invention, showing a portion of the door in horizontal section for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the door latch mechanism, together with a portion of the door and a portion of the door frame.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the catch plate, which is secured to the door frame or some other portion of the building.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the co-operating guide'plate, which is attached to the swinging door.

As thus illustrated, the latch bar 1 is preferably pivoted at 2, at the outer-side of the door, in a bracket piece 3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The guide plate 4 is secured to the edge of the door 5, by scrcws'inserted through the screw holes 6 of said plate, so that this plate is in a vertical plane at right angles to the vertical plane of the door. This plate has a slot 7 in which the latch bar 1 is movable up and down about its pivot. The

5c catch plate 8 is similarly secured to the door 192?. Serial No. 185,503,.

frame, or to the building, close, to and a plane parallel with the. plate 4, and is pro- Vided with a notch 9 to receive said latch bar. The, two plates arepro-vided with holes 10and 11, respectively, for a padlock, so that the angle piece 12 secured to the barley a screw 13, r

or in any Suitable or desired manner. The inner portion of this latch bar occupies the cavity, formed inany suitable manner in the door, this cavity extending entirely through the door, as shown. Handles 14 are mounted on opposite sides of the door, in any suitable or desired manner, as shown, and the upper end portion of each handle is provided with a slot 15 in which a thumb piece 16is mounted to tilt upon the lower edge of each; slot. Each thumb piece hasan outer handle 17 to receive the downward pressure of the thumb, and the innerportions 18 of these thumb pieces are disposed below the lower edge 19 of the bent portions, 12, whereby pressure on either thumb-piece handle 17 will raise one of theinner portions 18 against the lower edge 19, and continued. pressure of the thumb will then raise the bar 1 out of the notch 9", in a manner readily understood.

When the parts are assembled as shown, the thumb pieces cannot be pulled out and are held in operative position.

In assembling the parts,.the thumb pieces are inserted through the slots 15 of the ban;

dles ltbefore'the latter are attached to the door. Then the handles and thumb pieces are applied to the door in the position shown, and screws 20. are inserted through holes in the. handles to secure the latter to the door.

'With-this arrangement, either thumb piece is capable of lifting the latch bar without disturbing the other thumb piece,tl1e two thumb pieces being separate and structurally distinct from each other, '-and either thumb piece being operative to lift the latch bar while the other thumb pieceremainsstationary in its normal position. The two handles 14 are duplicates, and the two thumb pieces are duplicates, whereby simplicity and economy of, manufacture are obtained, as well as less.

liability of mistakes in securing the parts to the door.

The construction shown and described is simple and economical to manufacture, and yet is strong and serviceable in use. New parts can be readily substituted if any part becomes broken or impaired by use.

Without disclaiming anything, and without prejudice to any novelty disclosed, what I claim as my invention is:

1. In door latch mechanism, the combination of a pivoted latch bar on one side of the door, a thumb piece at one side of the door for lifting the latch bar, a duplicate thumb piece at the other side of the door for lifting the latch bar, identical means for mounting the two duplicate thumb pieces to fulcrum on their lower edges in operative position, on opposite sides of the door, one of said mounting means being in the plane of said latch bar, engaging means rigid with the latch bar and reaching laterally from the bar inside the door a distance between said identical means to directly engage each of said thumb pieces, the two thumb pieces being structurally separate and each thumb piece being operative independently of the other to lift the latch bar without disturbing the other thumb piece, together with means for engaging the latch bar to latch the door in closed position.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said thumb pieces having inner straight parallel lifting portions arranged side by side at one side of the plane of said latch bar and in the plane of said engaging means, so that the two thumb pieces are disposed and operate in parallel vertical planes, said latch bar having a rigid double angle bent portion forming said means and provided with a lower edge for engagement with the upper lifting edge portion of either thumb piece.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said means for mounting the latch pieces comprising duplicate handles secured directly to opposite sides of the door, in different vertical planes, with the upper portion of each handle provided with a slot for one of the latch pieces, the lower edge of each slot forming a fulcrum for its allotted thumb piece, said latch bar having an engaging portion extending into a cavity in the door, said thumb pieces having straight inner parallel lifting portions disposed in said planes and adapted to engage the lower edge of said latch bar engaging portion.

4:. A structure as specified in claim 1, said means for mounting the thumb pieces comprising handles secured to opposite sides of the door, in parallel vertical spaced planes, through the upper portions of which handles the thumb pieces extend and are disposed respectively in said planes, each thumb piece being non-removable when the mechanism is all in place on the door, but each WILLIAM D. FERRIS. 

